Brandon Carlo is back in the lineup and playing well, and it's a massive boost for the Boston Bruins with the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs not far away.
The veteran defenseman missed a significant portion of the second half of the season due to injuries, including a concussion stemming from a high hit by Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson that resulted in a seven-game suspension.
Carlo returned Tuesday for his first game action since April 3. He's now put together strong performances in back-to-back games after Thursday night's 4-0 win over the New York Rangers.
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The 24-year-old defenseman played excellent defense and even scored a goal on a fortunate bounce. Carlo also tallied season highs with five shots and 10 shot attempts.
“He's a huge part of our back end,” Charlie McAvoy said of Carlo after the game. “He’s so good defensively and to see him in the last two games get shots on net and be a part of it, keep pucks alive, make plays in the O-zone, it’s awesome to see his confidence where it’s at.
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“He’s a tremendous player, and he means a lot to this group, so to have him back and see him playing well, being a big part of it is awesome."
Carlo is the Bruins' second-best shutdown defenseman behind top-pairing stud McAvoy. He provides a reliable defensive presence and a level of physicality that makes the B's tough to play against.
If he's healthy, the Bruins can roll the following defense pairings in the playoffs:
Matt Grzelcyk--Charlie McAvoy
Mike Reilly--Brandon Carlo
Jeremy Lauzon--Kevan Miller
That top four is pretty strong, and the Carlo-Reilly pairing has the potential to be really effective. We saw a glimpse of that against the Rangers, too. The Bruins had a 26-7 edge in shot attempts, an 11-3 advantage in shots on net, an 11-4 lead in scoring chances and a 2-0 goal differential with the Carlo-Reilly pairing on the ice during 5-on-5 action Thursday night.
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Sure, the Rangers had nothing to play for and likely were mentally and physically drained after the two games versus the Capitals earlier in the week, but it was still an encouraging effort by the Carlo-Reilly pairing.
Carlo and Reilly will need more time to develop a stronger chemistry ahead of the playoffs, but it's a well-balanced pairing that could be very important for the Bruins. B's head coach Bruce Cassidy could use them in offensive situations or deploy them against the opponents' top lines. This duo has that level of versatility, which is valuable.
Overall, Carlo's presence on the blue line allows everyone to shift into roles they're most comfortable playing. It allows Lauzon to play on the third pair, where he's more apt to succeed than a top-four role. It gives Reilly a defensive-minded player to balance out his offensive-driven style of play. It also bumps Jakub Zboril out of the top-six.
Health on the blue line can make or break a team's chances of winning a Stanley Cup. Right now, the Bruins are in a pretty good spot in that regard, thanks to Carlo's return to the lineup and his ability to quickly get back up to speed.
